New MAS Study Discusses the Role of Informal Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Promoting Gaza Strip’s Digital Economy
Ramallah, 15th March, 2026
The Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute (MAS), in partnership with Global Communities (GC), with funding from the Swedish government, has released a new research paper titled “Informal Internet Service Providers and Their Potential Role in Promoting Digital Marketing and E-Payments in Gaza: A Case Study Report”. This paper provides a qualitative, in-depth analysis of the adaptive digital practices in the Gaza Strip, with a special focus on the period following the severe degradation of formal telecommunications infrastructure.
This paper aims to document and analyze the operational models and technological adaptations adopted by informal internet service providers (ISPs) in the Gaza Strip. It also examines how micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have leveraged connectivity to these ISPs to employ digital marketing and electronic payment solutions to ensure the continuity of their economic activities. The paper also highlights the resilience and innovation of actors within this ecosystem, while critically examining the interconnected challenges they face. These challenges include high connectivity costs, reliability issues, regulatory uncertainty, and security risks. The study also emphasizes the resilience and innovation of the actors within this ecosystem, along with the interconnected challenges they face, including high connectivity costs, reliability issues, regulatory uncertainty, and security risks.
The report focuses on the intersection of three critical actors: the operational ecosystem of ISPs, the survival strategies of MSMEs, and the utilization of digital marketing and e-payment tools as means of economic survival and business continuity. In this context, the study concluded with a set of practical insights and doable interventions aimed at informing policymakers, development partners, and private sector actors. These insights will assist in designing recovery strategies that contribute to supporting digital economic recovery efforts in Gaza, and gearing policymakers and donors towards more realistic and comprehensive regulatory frameworks and interventions aimed at enhancing the resilience and inclusivity of Gaza’s digital economy in times of crises.